Energy drink link to alcohol dependence

People who regularly consume energy drinks may be more likely to drink heavily and be dependent on alcohol, new research suggests.

US scientists say that more studies are needed to investigate the possible effects of energy drinks on health.

The research, which will be published in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research next year, looked at data on more than 1,000 university students.

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Participants were asked to provide information on their consumption of energy drinks and alcohol over the previous 12 months.

Analysis revealed that students who had 52 or more energy drinks per year were much more likely to be alcohol dependent than those who had less.

A high intake of energy drinks was also associated with getting drunk at an earlier age and consuming more alcohol per drinking session.

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Lead author Dr Amelia Arria, from the University of Maryland School of Public Health, said: 'We were able to examine if energy drink use was still associated with alcohol dependence, after controlling for risk-taking characteristics.

'The relationship persisted and the use of energy drinks was found to be associated with an increase in the risk of alcohol dependence.'

Dr Arria added that the lack of product labelling on the contents or possible health risks of energy drinks was 'concerning'.

Previous research has suggested that the combination of energy drinks with alcohol may have negative health effects.

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